§ Sir Teddy TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will take steps to require local councils to provide specialist schools to teach English to children who are unable to speak it and to prepare them for admission to state schools. [102629]
§ Jacqui SmithNo. The Government do not favour the introduction of such schools which would deny the children attending them access to the full National Curriculum, which is their entitlement.
The Government are providing additional support to schools and local education authorities for children learning English as an additional language. For 2000–01, £162.5 million will be available from the Standards Fund.